Draft English syllabus ‘outrages’

Press, 24 September 1988, Page 1

Draft English syllabus ‘outrages’

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Parliament. Maori is' being made the cornerstone for teaching English to the sixth and seventh forms in a draft English syllabus prepared for the Education Department The Minister of Education, Mr Lange, said he had glanced at the document and his only comment was that it was "an early draft.” Its preamble contains the policy that “the programmes should incorporate Maori language examples and comparisons as well as Maori literature written in English and in translation,

thus encouraging a respect and love for the Maori voice as well as the pakeha.” The Opposition spokesman on education, Dr Lockwood Smith, said he was being contacted by teachers outraged at the content of the syllabus. “It smacks of institutionalised thinking and the public needs to be alerted before it is too late,” he said. Teachers were already complaining about some of the concepts in it He cited as an example “the Treaty of Waitangi is a cornerstone for educational

policy, including English.” The draft syllabus also sets out two attitudes to be included in the aims for English taught in the sixth and seventh forms. These are: ® To promote and affirm nonracist and non-sexist attitudes, practices and uses of language in a bicultural society. ® To develop a life-long love of literature and a delight in language. “We live in Aotearoa,” the draft said. “We recognise this country is not monocultural and monolingual; Maori and English

are official languages.” Dr Smith said he agreed that pupils should be studying some of these matters at school, but he questioned their relevance to a sixth and seventh-form syllabus. These forms were where the attention of pupils should be directed, to the wider world and the value of the English language in helping New Zealand make its way in that wider world, he said. Mr Lange said the draft had to work its way through the educational system and he did not plan to get involved with it every step of the way.